Poinsettia plant named ‘Dopoinatla’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Poinsettia  plant named ‘Dopoinatla’, characterized by its upright to slightly outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong lateral branches; relatively early flowering habit; inflorescences with large deep red-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPOINATLA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dopoinatla’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create moderately vigorous Poinsettia plants withstrong lateral branches, upright plant habit and attractive flower bractcoloration.

The new Poinsettia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2013 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selectionof Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code numberEE09-000701-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as codenumber EE08-002815-001, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent.The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor asa flowering plant from within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg,Germany in December, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germanysince January, 2019 has shown that the unique features of this newPoinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dopoinatla’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dopoinatla’ as a new and distinct Poinsettiaplant:

-   -   1. Upright to slightly outwardly spreading and uniformly        mounding plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Strong lateral branches.    -   4. Relatively early flowering habit.    -   5. Inflorescences with large deep red-colored flower bracts.    -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in growth habit as plants of the new Poinsettia aremore compact than and not as vigorous as plants of the female parentselection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in time to flower as plants of the new Poinsettiaflower later than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ‘Fiscor’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarilyfrom plants of ‘Fiscor’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more upright than and not as        outwardly spreading as plants of ‘Fiscor’.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have thicker and stronger        lateral branches than plants of ‘Fiscor’.    -   3. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are longer and        broader than flower bracts of plants of ‘Fiscor’.    -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Fiscor’ differ in flower        bract color as plants of the new Poinsettia have slightly darker        red-colored flower bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia plant. The photograph comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dopoinatla’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thesummer and autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During theproduction of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. andlight levels averaged 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 13-cmcontainers and were pinched one time about three weeks after plantingthe cuttings. Plants were 23 weeks old when the photograph and thedetailed description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, FifthEdition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significanceare used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Dopoinatla’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number            EE09-000701-001, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number            EE08-002815-001, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate            temperature and age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright to slightly outwardly            spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately            vigorous growth habit; inverted triangle in overall plant            shape; inflorescences with large flower bracts positioned            above the foliar plane.        -   Plant height.—About 26 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 33 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching habit            with about five to six lateral branches developing after            pinching. Length: About 23 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 11 cm. Width: About 7.8 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Texture, upper            surface: Glabrous; smooth. Texture, lower surface: Glabrous;            rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves,            upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower            surface: Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to 139A; venation, close to 146A. Fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137A to 137B;            venation, close to 146B to 146C. Petioles: Length: About            5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 187A to 187B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with flower bracts subtending the            cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral branch with            inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar plane.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the            autumn and winter under long nyctoperiod conditions;            inflorescence initiation and development can be induced            under artificial long nyctoperiod conditions; relatively            early flowering habit, response time is about eight weeks.        -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production            longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good            substance and bract color for about twelve weeks under            interior conditions.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 33 cm. Height (depth):            About 3.8 cm.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15. Length:            About 16 cm. Width: About 12 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Aspect: Mostly            flat. Texture, upper surface: Glabrous; smooth. Texture,            lower surface: Glabrous; rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate.            Color: Developing bracts, upper surface: Close to 53A.            Developing bracts, lower surface: Close to 46A. Transitional            bracts, upper surface: Close to 46A. Transitional bracts,            lower surface: Close to 46B. Fully developed bracts, upper            surface: Close to 46A; venation, close to 46A; color            becoming closer to 53A with development. Fully developed            bracts, lower surface: Close to 47A; venation, close to 47A;            color becoming closer to 53A with development. Bract            petioles: Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 53A.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 15. Length: About 8 mm.            Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When developing, inner            surface: Close to 143C. When developing, outer surface:            Close to 143B. Fully developed, inner surface: Close to            143B. Fully developed, outer surface: Close to 143B to 143C.            Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: Typically one. Length:            About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture,            inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When            developing and fully developed, inner surface: Close to 17A.            When developing and fully developed, outer surface: Close to            17C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            143C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium:            About 20. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color: Close            to 53A. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm.            Anther color: Close to 187A to 187B. Amount of pollen:            Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Quantity per            cyathium: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length:            About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape:            Crested. Stigma color: Close to 59A to 59B. Ovary color:            Close to 144A. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit            production have not been observed on plants of the new            Poinsettia.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Poinsettia    have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Poinsettia plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 12° C. to about    40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Dopoinatla’as illustrated and described.